Sun, Christopher

Overview 

Christopher Sun, PhD, BASc, is a scientist at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute and an assistant professor at the University of Ottawa Telfer School of Management. His research program aims to improve system efficiency and reduce inequity and mistrust by overcoming the barriers to developing and implementing novel artificial intelligence models (that is, algorithmically fair optimization, machine learning and deep learning models) in healthcare. Professor Sun is currently accepting motivated research students at all levels (undergraduate, master, PhD). Prospective students are welcome to express their interest by contacting him with a CV and transcript.

Background 

Dr. Sun joined the Heart Institute in 2022. He received his BASc in engineering science (biomedical engineering) and PhD in industrial engineering from the University of Toronto. He was also a postdoctoral fellow and visiting assistant professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan School of Management.

Professor Sun is a recipient of a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship; a CIHR postdoctoral fellowship; an American Heart Association Young Investigator Award; and the 2022 Citizen CPR Foundation (CCPRF) Excellence in Education Award. In addition, he has been named to the CCPRF 40 Under 40 List (Class of 2021). He has published in leading journals, including the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Circulation, Health Affairs, and Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. His research has also been covered by the New York Times, Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, Huffington Post, CTV, and Reuters.

Research & Clinical Interests 

Dr. Sun’s research interests lie at the intersection of optimization, artificial intelligence, public health, and health equity. His research primarily revolves around utilizing data-driven optimization, machine learning, and simulation techniques to inform the design of healthcare systems and development of public health policies. He has conducted his research in collaboration with multiple health institutes including Massachusetts General Hospital (Boston, MA, USA), Boston Emergency Medical Services (Boston, MA, USA), Israel National Emergency Medical Services (Magen David Adom, Israel), St. Michael’s Hospital (Toronto, ON, Canada), and Gentofte Hospital (Copenhagen, Denmark).

Dr. Sun has also been active in the field of resuscitation science, specifically around optimizing the response and management of cardiac arrest. His body of work in this area has been recognized internationally by organizations like the American Heart Association (AHA) and International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation, which now recommend optimizing public access defibrillators placements as a potential strategy to improve cardiac outcomes. Dr. Sun has also been cited in AHA’s Interim Guidelines for Cardiac Life Support in Adults developed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Publications 

Selected publications: